Fluid-drive pump jack



March 29, 1955 E, R. DAY ET AL FLUID-DRIVE PUMP JACK z Shets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1951 INVENTOR. ZEI'Z 2 a? Leroy x? Zara March 29, 1955 E. R. DAY ETAL FLUID-DRIVE PUMP JACK 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1951 INVENTOR. EarZ' 733a zii?" ATTD RNEYS March 29, 1955 E. R. DAY ETAL FLUID-DRIVE PUMP JACK 5 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed May 4, 1951 IL L+- INV NTOR. E27-ZFZ 4 eroy ATTD R N EYS United States Patent FLUID-DRIVE PUMP JACK Earl R. Day, Summerfield, Leroy A. Wright, Barnesville, and Mervin C. Nalley, Woodsfield, Ohio; said Nalley assignor to said Day and said Wright Application May 4, 1951, Serial No. 224,644

1 Claim. (Cl. 121-164) This invention relates to pump actuated jacks particularly adapted for use in oil fields, and in particular a device wherein a polishing rod extends from the end of a walking beam downward into a well casing and where the walking beam is actuated by a fluid pressure cylinder with the cylinder extended by fluid under pressure supplied from a motor driven pump on a frame on which the walking beam is pivotally mounted.

The purpose of this invention is to improve the structure of pump jacks of this type whereby fluid is pumped continuously through the cylinder and the pressure is controlled by opening and closing a valve in the exhaust line which carries the fluid to a reservoir from which the fluid is drawn by the pump and wherein the valve in the gxhaust line is automatically actuated by the walking earn.

Various types of hydraulically actuated pumps have been provided for oil wells of this type, but owing to the fact that oil wells may extend from three to five thousand feet, it is diflicult to provide actuating means for the polishing rod without placing undue stresses and strains on the operating parts. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a fluid pressure pump jack wherein oil under pressure is pumped into a cylindrical casing having a closed inner piston, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to a walking beam mounted on a base upon which the pump and motor are mounted. The oil forces the inner piston upwardly, carrying the walking beam and also a polishing rod adjustably connected to the end of the beam, upwardly withdrawing the rod from the well and upon reaching the limit of the upward movement a valve is tripped to relieve the pressure in the cylinder so that the weight of the polishing rod draws the end of the beam and inner piston downwardly.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for constructing a pump jack for reciprocating a drill or polishing rod extended into a well whereby the rod is elevated by fluid pressure and returned by gravity and in which means is provided for adjusting the length of travel of the rod and operating means therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump jack which is of rugged construction whereby it is adapted for use in the field and under adverse weather conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid pressure actuated jack for use in oil wells wherein an inner piston is spaced from an outer cylindrical casing with the oil used as the pressure means for filling the area between the inner piston and the outer casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im proved pump jack which is actuated by fluid under pressure in which the pump operates continuously and is not required to start under load.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid pressure actuated pump jack which is of a comparatively simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a frame having a base formed of tubular members and a walking beam pivotally mounted in an upright frame in one end thereof, with a fluid actuated cylinder pivotally mounted on the base and a reciprocating piston in the cylinder pivotally connected to the walking beam, and in which fluid under pressure is supplied by a motor driven pump mounted on the base of the frame.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the improved fluid pressure actuated pump jack.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the jack.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the forward end of the frame taken on line 33 of Figure l and showing the housing adapted to be positioned over the jack in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a longitudinal section through the cylinder and piston of the jack.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the cylinder and piston taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a similar section taken on line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a detail showing an end elevational view of the upper end of the walking beam and illustrating the1 cable yoke for connecting the beam to the polishing ro Figure 8 is a cross section through the polishing rod taken on line 88 of Figure 7 showing the pivotal connection of the cable through the rod.

Figure 9 is a cross section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 1 illustrating the pivotal mounting of the walking beam in the frame.

Figure 10 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on line 10-10 of Figure 1 illustrating the connection of the upper end of the piston with the valve gearing.

Figure 11 is a cross section taken on line 11-11 of Figure 10 showing the connecting elements on a still further enlarged scale.

Figure 12 is a detail taken on line 12-12 of Figure 1 showing nuts inserted in the side surfaces of the lower tubular beams to provide means for mounting an enclosure over the pump jack.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved fluid pump jack of this invention includes a base having tubular side beams 10 and 11 connected by an end beam 12, a walking beam 13 pivotally mounted in the upper end of uprights 14 and 15 by a shaft 16, an outer piston 17 and an inner cylinder 18 reciprocating in the cylinder 17, a valve casing 19 having a core 20, and a pump 21, operated by a motor 22.

The tubular members 10 and 11 forming the base of the frame are connected by a cross tube 23, the ends of which are provided with partitions 24 and 25 so that the device forms a reservoir, and a similar cross member 26 is provided below the platform 27. The member 26 is also provided with end partitions and the intermediate parts thereof are connected to cross member 23 by tubes 27 and 28 whereby the area of the reservoir is increased.

With the sides, end and cross members of the base formed of comparatively large tubes the frame is adapted to be positioned on soft ground or in the mud and for permanent installation, concrete piers may be provided to support the frame.

The uprights 14 and 15 are supported from forward parts of the side beams by diagonal braces 30 and 31 and the walking beam 13, which is also tubular, may be reinforced with truss members 32, 33 and 34, as illustrated in Figure 1.

The forward end of the beam 13 is provided with a depending shoe 35, which is T-shaped in cross section and the outer surface of the flange 36 thereof is formed on a radius on the center of the shaft 16 whereby as the beam travels upwardly and downwardly the polishing rod 37 slides on the arcuate face thereof without bending.

The polishing rod 37 extends through a recess 38 in the end of the beam and the rod is attached to the beam by a cable 39 which extends over the beam 13, and the ends of which are secured in upwardly extended sleeves 40 and 41 by set screws 42 and 43. The sleeves 40 and 41 are carried by collars 44 and 45 on trunnions 46 and 47, respectively which extend from opposite sides of a clamp 48 that is adjustably secured on the polishing rod 37 by a screw 49 which extends through a flange 50 and which is threaded into a flange 51 of the clamp.

With the polishing rod attached to the extended end of the walking beam 13 in this manner the vertical position thereof may readily be adjusted.

The walking beam is elevated by the inner piston 18 which is positioned in the outer cylinder 17 with the walls of the piston and cylinder in spaced relation as illustrated in Figure 4 and with the parts in these positions and also with the outer edges of guides 52 on the lower end of the inner piston 18 spaced from the inner surface of the outer cylinder 17 the inner piston is free to travel vertically in the outer cylinder. The lower end of the inner piston is sealed by a disc 53 on the outer edge of which the guides 52 are positioned.

The upper end of the inner piston 18 is also sealed with a disc 54 and bearings 55 and 56 extend upwardly from the disc 54 to provide a pivotal bearing for the upper end of the piston.

The lugs 55 and 56 are pivotally mounted in plates 57 and 58 on the under surface of the beam 13 and the plates 57 and 58 are provided with spaced openings 59 whereby the upper end of the piston is adjustably connected to the walking beam 13 by a bolt 60.

The upper end of the outer cylinder 17 is provided with a flange 61 and a packing gland is formed in the end of the cylinder with a sleeve 62 carried by an outer flange 63 extended downwardly between the cylinder 17 and piston 18 and urging packing 64, retained between the sleeve 62 and an annular ring 65, against the outer surface of the piston 18. The flanges 61 and 63 are secured together by bolts 66.

The lower end of the outer cylinder 17 is provided with a head 67 on the lower surface of which bearing lugs 68 and 69 extend, and these lugs are pivotally mounted in upwardly extended bearing plates 70 and 71 by a bolt 72. The bearing plates 70 and 71 are secured, preferably by welding in the upper surface of the cross member 23, as shown in Figure 3.

With the parts arranged in this manner fluid under pressure, supplied to the lower end of the outer cylinder 17, forces the inner piston 18 upwardly elevating the free end of the walking beam 13 and the polishing rod 37.

The lower part of the cylinder 17 is provided with an inlet connection or conduit 73 on which a valve 74 is positioned and from the valve the inlet connection is connected to the discharge 75 of the pump 21 by a hose 76. An outlet connection 77 is connected to the reservoir in the member 23 by a hose connection 78 which extends through the valve 19, as shown in Figure 4. The intake 79 of the pump 21 is connected to the reservoir in the cross connection 23 by a hose connection 80 and a nipple 81 extends from the hose connection downwardly to the lower part of the tube 23.

The fluid under pressure is supplied from the pump 21 to the outer cylinder of the fluid motor through the inlet 73. The core 20 of the valve 19 is provided with a curved passageway or port 82 and one end of the port 22 is adapted to move into and out of register with the opening of the outlet connection 77. The other end of the port 82 is adapted to move into and out of register with the connection 78. Thus, when the valve 19 is open as in Fig. 4, the fluid flows from the pump continuously through the jack and into the reservoir. Valve 74 is manually operated. Fluid is flowing into the outer cylinder 17 continuously through the inlet 73 and as long as the valve 19 is open as in Fig. 4, this fluid will flow through the passageway 82 back to the reservoir. However, when the valve 19 is closed, the fluid flowing into the cylinder 17 will cause the piston 18 to raise or move upwardly.

The valve is actuated through gears 83 and 84, the gear 83 being mounted on a stem 85 of the core 20 of the valve 19 and the gear 84 being journaled on a stud 86 extended from the outer cylinder 17. The gear 84 is provided with an arm 87, the outer end of which is connected by a pin 88 to an offset rod 89 which extends ilipwecirtilg into a connecting tube 90, as shown in Figures On the upper part of the rod 89 is an adjusting sleeve 91 having a threaded stud extended therefrom on which a thumb nut 92 is positioned whereby with the stud extended through the slot 93 the position of the sleeve 91 may be adjusted.

The rod 89 is provided with a set collar 94 that is secured in adjusted positions by a set screw 95. The upper end of the rod 89 is also provided with a guide collar 96, and the upper end of the connecting tube 90 is provided with an extension 97, which extends over the center of tlae telescoping cylinders where it is mounted on the bolt with the parts connected in this manner the walking beam 13 travels downwardly with a free movement until the set collar 94 is engaged by the lower end of the adjusting sleeve 91, at which time the rod 89 turns the large gear 84 a comparatively short distance and the difference in ratio of the gears causes the small gear 83 to turn sufiiciently whereby the end of the port 82 that registers with the connection 77 is turned away from the connection and the valve closed whereby fluid being pumped into the lower end of the cylinder 17 forces, by displacement, the inner piston 18 outwardly until the upper end of the sleeve 91 engages the collar 96 and thereby turns the gears back so that the port 82 again registers with the opening of the connection 77. At this time the pressure is relieved and the inner piston descends as the fluid passes back through the connection 78 into the reservoir. The device will work continuously with a reciprocating action with the polishing rod 37 drawing the walking beam downwardly by gravity and with the fluid under pressure, supplied by the pump 21 forcing the inner piston upwardly. The distance of travel is adjusted by an adjusting sleeve 91 and the thumb screw 92 whereby the valve is opened and closed at the upper and lower ends in the strokes.

The shaft 16 extends through sleeves 98 and 99 in the standards 14 and 15 and caps with Alemite fittings, as indicated by the numeral 100 may be provided on the ends of the sleeves.

The side beams 10 and 11, and also other parts of the base may be provided with nuts or threaded inserts 101 which are secured, preferably by welding in openings in the beams and tubes and, as illustrated in Figure 12 frame members 102 may be secured to the sides of the beams by bolts 103 whereby a shed or housing, as indicated by the dot and dash lines 104 may be provided over the pump jack. Upright members 105 may be nailed or bolted to the members 102 or the upright members may be directly bolted to the beams 10 and 11, as may be desired. It will also be understood that the upper part of the structure may be formed as illustrated in Figure 3 or the upper end may be covered with an arcuate corrugated sheet, as may be desired.

In order to limit downward movement of the walking beam 13 a strut or frame, such as an A-frame, not shown may extend upwardly from the neck or platform 27 or cross member 26 and the upper end of the support is provided with a member that may be formed of rubber or other suitable resilient material.

The frame members, such as the beams 10 and 11 and the cross members 12, 23 and 26 are preferably connected by welding although it will be understood that these parts may be connected by other means and although the members are illustrated as being tubular it will also be understood that other structural shapes may be used.

The improved fluid drive pump jack of this invention is installed over a well with a polishing rod 37 extended through a conventional packing gland in the upper end of the well and as fluid pressure is provided by the pump and motor, fluid passes through the lower end of the outer cylinder and when the valve 19 is closed the fluid forces the inner piston 18 upwardly as shown and described.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a fluid driven pump jack of the type including a horizontally disposed base having a fluid reservoir therein, vertically disposed uprights projecting upwardly from said base, a walking beam pivotally mounted between said pair of uprights, and a polishing rod connected to the free end of said beam, the improvement consisting in providing a fluid motor for actuating said beam and said motor comprising an outer cylinder having a head on its lower end, apertured lugs depending from said head and pivotally connected to said base, a piston reciprocally arranged in said cylinder, a disc closing the upper end of said piston, bearings extending upwardly from said piston and adjustably and pivotally connected to said beam, guides on the lower end of said piston for maintaining said piston spaced from said cylinder, an inlet conduit connected to the lower end of said cylinder for continuously admitting fluid to said cylinder, an outlet conduit connected to the lower end of said cylinder and to s aid reservoir, a valve in said outlet conduit and comprising a movable core having a stem extending therefrom, said valve alternately permitting passage of fluid therethrough and blocking passage of fluid therethrough, a first gear mounted on said stem, a stud extending from said outer cylinder, a second gear mounted on said stud and meshing with said first gear, an arm connected to said second gear, a vertically disposed tube spaced from said cylinder, a rod extending into said tube and having a lower ofiset portion connected to said arm, a sleeve positioned in said tube and adjustably connected to said rod, and a collar mounted on said rod for engagement by the lower end of said sleeve said sleeve being 10 moved upon movement of said walking beam in order to open and close said valve.

368,974 Rush Aug. 30, 1887 6 Bemardi Oct. 24, 1893 Watson Nov. 9, 1897 Salentine Mar. 16, 1937 Vernon et a1. Oct. 4, 1938 Bays Dec. 27, 1938 Habenicht Feb. 18, 1941 Goehring Oct. 20, 1942 Buchet June 13, 1944 Ross Dec. 4, 1945 Barksdale July 26, 1949 Trautman June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 2, 1923 

